Kraken Black Spiced

Quoting the manufacturer's website: "The Kraken is a fine Caribbean Rum blended with exotic spices", ...and that seems to be the extent of the expertise and transparency. So, the attention has been directed to the bottle, indeed quite striking and evidently effective. Nevertheless, I dare say that those captivated by the bottle’s aesthetic might overlook the primacy of form over content. The signature cocktails complete the overall picture.

Like a voice crying in the wilderness, let's start with the label: Black Spiced. Black spiced, what? Black Spiced ___?

No, certainly not a rum, though a spirit drink. The product violates EU regulations on several points: flavouring per se, using caramel only for color adjustments, and significantly exceeding the permissible sugar content. At this point, I would like to stress that genuine rum contains no sugar and is not sweeter than Scotch or tequila. Any sugar in rum is an added, artificial ingredient that is deliberately included.

Black refers to black rums, which doesn’t help either, as it denotes a superficial product. It’s the only rum style defined by color, with the addition of color itself determining the category. Black rums are typically young rums that are darkened with caramel coloring before bottling to mimic the appearance of aging and allegedly the richness of flavor. Fittingly, these are usually low-quality, bottom-shelf products, unappealing in taste for a reason.

Spiced. In the U.S. market, regulations are less stringent; most alcoholic beverages are regulated by the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The Kraken is recorded under class CT 644, alongside Captain Morgan Original Spiced. Both are not strictly classified as rums but fall into the broader category of distilled spirits speciality because “[...] contain or are treated with flavoring and/or coloring materials and/or nonstandard blending or treating materials or processes”.

What about the clientele? Quite contrary to common or promoted beliefs, spiced rum is not used in cocktail bars, as intended flavours and aromas are tailored individually for each drink. Spiced rum, in contrast, is highly popular in clubs and discos, which are more akin to mass-market cheap thrills.

Among the triad of producer, distributors, and consumers, the middlemen are arguably the most compromised. Why? Believe it or not, but there is such a thing as ethics in sales. It’s a broad concept, even if not often experienced, emphasizing on honesty, transparency, and responsibility to ensure proper protection of customers' interests.

Given the above, I encourage you to check out online stores offerings and find out which category The Kraken Black Spiced is listed under.

Leaving aside the repetitiveness of online reports, it is speculated that the boisson spiritueuse (as indeed stated on the back label) is based on a distillate from Trinidad. Whether this is still the case or was true in the past, and whether it is grounded in facts or arises from speculation, I don’t know. The bottle only states “spirit drink made with imported rum".

Let me skip over "blended with spices, caramel, and other natural flavors”. I'll just note that the blend is prepared and bottled by the American company MGP Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana (DSP-IN-1), while European bottling is handled by Kingsland Drinks (Manchester M44 6BD).